[front page]

archive: [2002] [2001] [2000] [1999] [1998] [1997] [by issue]

[sponsors]
[site info]

ISSN 1458-4433

eironline.gif

labourstart.gif

sak2.gif

tuw.gif

http://wwww.kaapeli.fi/unions/globalunions.gif (3141 bytes)

wilogob.jpg (10449 bytes)

ACTRAV

ETUC

XPDNC

+ Other links


© All rights reserved. The trade union press is hearby authorised to use this material.

E-mail your comments, questions and subscription requests to get the latest stories from this service sent free of charge directly to your e-mailbox.

The news service is sponsored by SAK, the largest central trade union in Finland, and ten of its 23 affiliated unions.

If you want the text quicklyto be  translated into French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish, you may try Babel fish, but remember what its provider says: "Machine translation produces reasonable results in many cases. But you should not rely on it."


logo.gif (3693 bytes)


Legal foreign labour force
in Finland doubles in two years

Helsinki (24.05.2002 - Juhani Artto) Finland granted 15,000 residence and work permits to foreign workers in 2000. This figure may even double this year, as the construction and engineering industry has difficulties in finding appropriate employees on the domestic labour market, especially in southern Finland. In the summer months commercial farms also employ foreign labour, mainly for strawberry picking.

Most of these migrant workers are Russians and Estonians. Statistics for 2001 indicate that no other countries supplied more than a few hundred workers to the legal Finnish labour market.

Applications for residence and work permits are generally approved. Last year only 4.2 per cent of applications were turned down. The authorities are not allowed to grant residence and work permits when workers are already available on the domestic labour market.

This increased intake of foreign labour is a new phenomenon in Finland. It may have taken the public by surprise, as until now there have been no major outcries against the use of foreign labour, even though almost ten per cent of the domestic labour force remains unemployed and the sustained fall in general unemployment has recently slowed down. Several recent studies suggest that the rate of unemployment may even rise in the near future.

At the end of this decade the current proportion of foreign labour will probably look tiny. Over a period of some seven to eight years almost the whole of the baby-boom generation is due to retire, leaving employers increasingly in a situation where the only option is to replace Finnish employees with workers from abroad.

Broadly speaking, businesses and other work-related organisations remain rather inexperienced in meeting the demands of a multicultural labour force. Several trade unions have recently awakened to the new situation and have begun to publish materials in Russian, Estonian and other languages, and to organise meetings for members of foreign origin. However, most of the work needed in this area has yet to be done.

Source:
Foreign labour growing rapidly in Finland, Helsingin Sanomat 16.5.2002

Read also:

 

 
Other sites on economy and working life:

viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Everything at stake - safeguarding interests in a world without frontiers
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Statistics Finland
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Occupational safety and health in Finland, Socius 2-2001 (pdf-file)
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes)
Documents of the SAK 16th Congress 28-30.5.2001
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Ten years of working conditions in the European Union, Eurofound's research summary (pdf-file)
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) In terms of real property, one Finland equals two Nokias, Helsingin Sanomat 08.01.2001
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) The growth of the Finnish economy did not eradicate unemployment, Helsingin Sanomat 03.01.2001
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Only one Finn in nine actually retire as late as 65, Helsingin Sanomat 02.01.2001
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Incomes policy agreement approved; The incomes policy agreement in a nutshell;The economic backgrounf of the incomes policy agreement  SAK 15.12.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Collective bargaining in Finland 1999-2000, Pekka Sauramo, Labour Institute for Economic Research, Helsinki (pdf-file)
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Working environment greater cause of absenteeism than lifestyle Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 05.12.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) New job creation down 50 % this year Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 01.12.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Made in Hong Finland Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 28.11.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Bars and restaurants among Finland's most hazardous work places Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 27.11.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Finland faces labour shortage in all sectors in 2005 Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 23.11.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) New two-year incomes agreement announced Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 17.11.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Increased disparities in wealth distribution Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 09.11.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Floating shopping centers might become a thing of the past Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 24.10.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) SAK member unions vote to go with two-year wage deal Helsingin Sanomat International Edition 03.10.2000
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) National Economy
and State Finances

Ministry of Finance
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Occupational Safety and Health Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Dispute highlights threats to Finnish seafarers' jobs eironline
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Strikes break out as bargaining round nears conclusion eironline
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) "Barometer" examines industrial relations in Baltic states eironline
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Strike levels fall in 1999 eironline
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Action programme launched to promote "ability to cope" at work eironline
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) SAK computer campaign proves successful eironline
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) European working time conference held in Helsinki
eironline

More on
and in Finland:

viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Etusivu - The Finnish Link Resource
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Helsinki Camera - Views over the city
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Virtual Finland - Information about Finland - Facts about Finland
provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs

viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Finland - World Fact Book entry - tons of links!
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Statistics Finland
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition - News from Finland
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Need a reliable lawyer - The Finnish Bar Association can help
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Moving to Finland? - Directorate of Immigration
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) Ministry of Labour Migration affairs page
viiva.jpg (1278 bytes) National Equal Opportunities Network - Fighting discrimination